Motherhood is Cah-Nee-Val!

Thank you for your interest in the Socamom.com Parent Panel! We have a full year planned for 2012, and we are glad that you would like to join us.

What is the Socamom.com Parent Panel? The SPP is a group of moms and dads who test products, attend events, and serve as experts or thought leaders on and offline on Caribbean parenting, travel, cooking, entertainment, fashion, events, and more.

There are several ways that you can participate when you become a panel member. No one activity is mandatory. You can devote anywhere from 5 minutes a month, to daily content – your level of involvement is up to you.

Activites

SPP Online Meet and Greet: Panel members log in to Socamom.com and introduce themselves to other Socamom.com general members and panel members. Panel members can choose to check in briefly and say hello to the community, or hang out for a while and chat about various topics at any time during the day.

How often: Once per month

How long: All day event, anytime check in

Mama Lime Radio Show: Radio show topics are posted the week before the show, and panel members can call or skype in to the show to chat with each other and with callers, answer caller questions, and discuss the month’s topics. The show lasts 1 hour. This is not a mandatory activity.  Feel free to participate when the discussion fits your area of expertise or interest, parenting experience, and schedule.

How often: Once per month

How long: Show lasts one hour, anytime check in

Twitter Fete: If you are on Twitter, the Twitter Fete is a fantastic way to increase your followers, and introduce yourself to the community.  During the designated hour, if you are on Twitter, you can answer parenting questions (in 140 characters or less), answer product questions, answer Caribbean Trivia, Tweet videos and music, and win great prizes from sponsors when you use the given hashtag.  The fete is two hours, and you can jump in at any time.

How often: Once or Twice per month

How long: Fete lasts one hour, anytime check in

Guest Blog Posting: If you are a blogger, or just enjoy writing, check your email or the calendar for the monthly topics.  Each month we will present our panelists with topics that they can write about.  Writing is not mandatory.

How often: Once per month recommended – not mandatory

How long: Usually takes about one hour to write, edit, and post to Socamom.com

Post Commenting: Panelists are given the opportunity to comment on stories and posts before they are made available to the public.

How often: Once per week recommended – not mandatory

How long: Takes less than 5 minutes

Offline Events: Periodically, the Socamom.com Parent Panelists may receive exclusive invitations to Caribbean events, parenting events, product launches, and more.  Attendance is not required.

How often: Depends on your location and schedule  - not mandatory

How long: Varies based on the event

Free Products, Passes, and Tickets: Sponsors may request that Socamom.com Parent Panelists that meet specified criteria participate in product trials, movie previews, and possibly reviews. Participation is not required.

How often: Depends on your location and whether or not you are selected  - not mandatory

How long: Varies based on the product

Benefits

Benefits of being a Socamom.com Panelist:

1. Socamom.com gets thousands of views monthly.
2. Being a panelist gives you the opportunity to contribute to the Caribbean parenting community and demonstrate your expertise in several subject areas.
3. If you have a blog, Twitter, or Facebook page, our enhanced profile system allows you to import your blog, your tweets, and list any websites that you work on – personal and professional.
4. We provide online networking opportunities with our recurring signature activities: Twitter Fete, Mama Lime Radio Show, and Socamom.com Parent Panelist Meet and Greet.
5. If you have a blog or website, links in your profile, comments, and guest blog posts drive traffic from our website to your website or blog.
6. Permission to display the Socamom.com panelist badge on your blog or website to let your readers know that you contribute your advice and expertise to a community of Caribbean parents.
7. Depending on where you are located and your area of expertise, you may receive advance copies of books, trials of products, and invitations to exclusive events.

We are closing the parent panel at 100 parents – moms and dads – and we hope to have our panel complete by January 12^th 2012.  If you know of other parents that you believe would be interested in joining the panel, forward this email.

Steps to become a Socamom.com parent panelist:

1. If you are not a member, join Socamom.com using Twitter, Facebook, or regular registration.
2. Log in and complete your profile (add your bio, profile picture (an actual photo of you – rather than a logo - is required for panel membership) address and phone number (not public), update email address, twitter stream, facebook page, introduce yourself in the forum, etc.
3. Click on contact us and indicate your interest in the parent panel – if you haven’t already.
4. Profiles will be reviewed by January 12, 2012 and if you have been accepted, your badge (graphic for your website or blog), code, and link to the panelist calendar will be sent to you by email with full, easy to follow instructions.

We look forward to your input and participation on the Socamom.com Parent Panel!